Entertainment /
Oscar Nominations 2016: A Mixed Bag of Surefire Bets, and Surprises
The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning with a genuine mix of critical favourites and populist gems that highlight that maybe the awards body is ready for some young blood.
The Best Actress nominations were widely tipped as the toughest field with so many great performances this year, but once again there were no diverse nominees in the acting fields for a second year in a row so expect #OscarsSoWhite to be trending again. It was good day for the three South Asian nominees: Sharmeen Chinoy whose documentary short, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness made the cut; Asif Kapadia's Amy which was in the Best Documentary category; and our fave, Sanjay Patel's Sanjay's Super Team made the Animated Shorts a lot more diverse.
Here's our reactions to the nominations:
Best Picture
The expected winner of the night.
Photo Credit:The Playlist
Photo Credit:The Playlist
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Our verdict: We like what we see here, despite Straight Outta Compton and Beasts of No Nation missing the cut, which is unfortunate because they were two triumphs that were both populist and innovative. Alas, it's good to see The Big Short and Mad Max in the list because they're the commercial films that have us hopeful.
Best Actress
.jpeg)
Cate Blanchett makes the cut with Carol.
Photo Credit: The Playlist
Photo Credit: The Playlist
Cate Blanchett – Carol
Brie Larson – Room
Sairose Ronan – Brooklyn
Jennifer Lawrence – Joy
Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years
Our verdict: Wonderful to see Charlotte Rampling in the lineup for her extraordinary performance in 45 Years, but our money is on Brie Larson, who picked up the recent Golden Globe for her performance in Room. She'll have stiff competition with Cate Blanchett though.
Best Actor
.jpeg)
Photo Credit: The Playlist
Leonardo Dicaprio – The Revenant
Bryan Cranston – Trumbo
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
Matt Damon – The Martian
Our verdict: There's almost no contest here. We know it will be Leonardo Dicaprio, who's waited out his multiple nominations to get to the prize in a month's time. But as a contrarian I'd love if Michael Fassbender got it for his impressive work in Steve Jobs.
Best Supporting Actor
The pick of the night.
Photo Credit:The Telegraph
Photo Credit:The Telegraph
Christian Bale – The Big Short
Tom Hardy – The Revenant
Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Sylvester Stallone – Creed
Our verdict: Now this was the category that upset me the most because there were no nominations for Jason Mitchell who played Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton or Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation, who was widely expected to be in the list. The destabilizer was Tom Hardy but our pick is Sylvester Stallone.
Best Supporting Actress
The surprise of the batch.
Photo Credit:The Playlist
Photo Credit:The Playlist
Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Rachel McAdams – Spotlight
Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs
Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Rooney Mara – Carol
Our verdict: Since the Academy went loopy by nominating the clearly co-leads Mara and Vikander in this category, we hope either of them win. But the biggest surprise is seeing Rachel McAdams in the list as the sole female in Spotlight.
Best Director
The veteran of the bunch: George Miller
Photo Credit:Crave Online
Photo Credit:Crave Online
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Lenny Abrahamson – Room
Adam McKay – The Big Short
Alejandro Iñárritu – The Revenant
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
Our verdict: Who'd a-thunk-it that the director of cult hits like Anchorman and Stepbrothers, Adam McKay, would be an Oscar nominee? But Short and Abrahamson were the two surprises who eked out competition like Quentin Tarantino and Ridley Scott with their assured and confident directing.
What do you think of the nominations? Let us know if your favourite film of 2015 made the cut and if you've got some snubs that we missed too.
Main Image Photo Credit: The Oscars Official Site
Rumnique Nannar
Author
Rumnique Nannar is a new journalist with a passion for all things pop culture, film, and art. Rumnique was born in London, with a predilection for devouring English chocolate with her Vogue, ANOKHI, and Glamour magazines in tow. She is currently in her Journalism Masters at UBC. Connect ...
COMMENTS
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
-
How PBS Series 'Renegades' Celebrates American History's Most Badass Disabled Changemakers
-
14 Bollywood Remakes Vs. Their Hollywood Originals - Who Did It Better?
-
Catch Pakistan's 1st Ever Hand-Drawn Animated Film 'The Glassworker' & Other South Asian Films At Reel Asian Festival
-
World Mental Health Day: How Bollywood Has Used Its Power Of Storytelling To Address Mental Health Stigmas
-
Highlights Of Archie Panjabi, Neeru Bajwa & Iman Vellani At iSAFF2024
-
3x Emmy-Nominated Television Host & Producer Rasha Goel Launches New Podcast "Beyond the Glam" - Premiering Today!
-
Does Bollywood Accurately Portray Financial Struggles of India's Working Class?
-
Canada’s International South Asian Film Festival (iSAFF) Triumphantly Unveils Its Thrilling 2024 Lineup!
-
TIFF 2024: Our Chat With Writer-Director-Star Srinivas Krishna On The 4K Restoration Of His Hidden Canadian Classic ‘Masala’
-
TIFF 2024: First-Time Filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi Dishes On ‘Boong,’ Her Funny & Profound Modern-Day Folk Tale Told From A Child's Point Of View
-
Nepotism Or Repetitive Content - What's Causing Bollywood's Slump Versus Punjabi & South Indian Cinema's Surge
-
Must-Watch Patriotic Films From India & Pakistan For Your Independence Day Celebrations
-
Villainous Vixens: How Bollywood's Leading Ladies Are Redefining Cinema's Most Memorable Antagonists
-
'Girls Will Be Girls' Wins Big At The 2024 Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (IFFLA)
-
OTT Revolution: How Streaming Platforms Are Transforming Indian Cinema
-
A Train Bloodbath With A 90% On Rotten Tomatoes - Why You Should Watch TIFF-Acclaimed Indian Action Flick 'Kill'
-
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Celebrates Its 22nd Edition June 27-30 With An Incredible Lineup Of 21 Films
-
Pride Month & Beyond: LGBTQIA+ Representation in South Asian Cinema
-
From Stoic Protectors to Emotional Anchors: A Father’s Day Tribute Through Hindi Cinema
-
Exploring South Asian Intergenerational Sacrifice With 'The Wrong Bashir', Now Playing In Toronto
-
Bollywood & Beyond: Must-Watch Films for Vibrant Insight Into Muslim Cultures
-
Over 50 Films From 9 Countries At The Eclectic South Asian Film Festival Montreal (May 24 - June 3)
-
Mother's Day Special: How Bollywood & Hollywood Super Moms Show Us Women Can Have It All!
-
Emerging Talents and Established Icons: Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with Us!
-
Revealing Truths: South Asian Cinema's Contribution to Earth Day Awareness
-
Review: Monkey Man - Dev Patel Sets the Screen Ablaze with Electrifying Action
-
Exclusive Q&A With Diljit Dosanjh on the Dil-Luminati Tour and the Exciting Simplii Collaboration!
-
12 South Asian Female Artists Who Are Changing Hollywood's Landscape
-
Transitional Representation of South Asian Women in The World of Entertainment
-
Hot February 2024 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
How Jesse "Punjabi Timbit" Singh Explores Emotional Healing Through His Comedy
-
Rukus Avenue Radio, The World's #1 South Asian Radio Station, Joins The iHeartRadio App
-
From Silent Frames To Global Fame: Key Moments That Shaped Bollywood
-
Hot January 2024 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Kerala Actor Santhy Balachandran Celebrates Her Three Incredible Releases In 2023
-
Hot December 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
The Real Reason Why Bollywood Directors Love English In Their Titles
-
Diwali Dance Fest Makes History at Walt Disney World® Resort!
-
TIFF 2023: Deepa Mehta and Sirat Taneja Share Why 'I Am Sirat’ Is The Transgender Story To Be Told
-
The International South Asian Film Festival 2023 (iSAFF) Wraps With A Celebration Of Outstanding Global South Asian Pathbreakers
-
TIFF 2023: 'We Grown Now' Director Minhal Baig Shares With Us Why Neighbourhood Stories Should Be Told
-
Event Alert: BMO International Film Festival Of South Asia Toronto (IFFSA) Is Every Filmi Lover's Dream
-
TIFF 2023: ‘The Queen of My Dreams’ Reigns Over TIFF With Style, Wit And Heart
-
The 21st Indian Film Festival Of Los Angeles (IFFLA) Returns With A Bang!
-
Brendan D'Souza Will Never Cheat On Their One True Love (Stand Up!)
-
Event Alert: South Asian Global Cinema Takes Centre Stage At The International South Asian Film Festival
-
Diwali Comes Alive At Walt Disney World With The First Ever Diwali Dance Fest
-
TIFF 2023: 11 South Asian Films Coming To The Toronto International Film Festival
-
Hot September 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Singers Karan Aujla & Jonita Gandhi Sign On To Warner Music Canada/India's Label '91 North Records'
-
4 Ways Alia Bhatt Steals The Show In The Hot Netflix Film "Heart Of Stone"
-
Priyanka And Nick Jonas Get Ready For The Jonas Brothers' Tour At Yankee Stadium!
-
Hot August 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
5 Reasons Why You Should Watch “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani”
-
JFL Exclusive: How Comedian Zarna Garg Showed Kevin Hart That Brown Women Can Be Funny Too
-
JFL Exclusive: Award-Winning Podcast Comedian Maddy Kelly Is The Next Gen Star
-
Hot July 2023 Films From Bollywood And Beyond!
-
Event Alert: “Mughal-E-Azam: The Musical" Kicks Off Canadian Tour With Upcoming Toronto Stop
-
#ANOKHI20: The ANOKHI Emerald Ball Was The Perfect Grand Finale To ANOKHI’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations
-
Pride 2023: 10 Bollywood Films That Honour Our Desi LGBTQIA+ Family